Football in Barcelona

FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol, Futsal, FCF and More!

The Barcelona Football scene is much more than just FC Barcelona. RCD Espanyol is a worthy rival but the FCF - Federació Catalana de Futbol - supports hundreds of semi-pro and amateur clubs and there are plenty of opportunities to play Futbol Sala - Indoor Football.

Obviously, Barça are one of the world's most popular and successful soccer clubs, but city rivals RCD Espanyol also play in the First Division of La Liga BBVA and have a very strong fan base.

If we go out into Barcelona Province, CE Sabadell play in the Spanish Second Division and back in the city Barcelona's third most important club, UE Sant Andreu are in Segona B, the regional third division.

Further down, there are many more leagues and divisions controlled by the Delegació de Barcelona of the Federació Catalana de Futbol.

Most neighbourhoods have an amateur side that plays in one of the lower divisions, so if you're looking for a game there are plenty of opportunities.

If we add all this to the vibrant Indoor Football scene, known as Futsal or Futbol Sala in Spain, Barcelona is a pretty great place for both watching and playing football.

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona, or more simply, Barça, is one of the most popular and successful football clubs in the world, and a massive attraction for the city. Regularly amongst the top positions in the Spanish Liga, Barça compete in the Champions League every season drawing thousands of foreign fans to Barcelona.

The Museum and Camp Nou Stadium Tour is one of the most popular tourist attractions and with 1.2 million visitors a year, the city's second most visited museum after the Picasso Museum.

Although Gaudí souvenirs are also popular, for many visitors to Barcelona, going home with a Barça shirt is one of the best ways to remember their trip to the Catalan capital.

RCD Espanyol

Although inevitably overshadowed by Barça, Espanyol are historically the 9th most successful club in Spanish football history and often compete in Europe.

Their fabulous new stadium is in Cornellà-El Prat near the airport, and if you want to see first division football during your visit, tickets for an Espanyol game or often cheaper and easier to get than ones for a Barça match.

Known as The Pericos, the blue and white Espanyol shirt is extremely attractive and a different kind of Barcelona football souvenir to take home from the city.

UE Sant Andreu

As a Sant Andreu resident for most of my time in Barcelona, our brilliant football club - UE Sant Andreu - is one of my great passions. We compete in the Spanish Tercera, which is a regional fourth division covering Catalonia, and are actually the city of Barcelona's third most successful club.

Our stadium Narcis Sala holds around 15,000 spectators and tickets for most games are available from the gate on match days and cost €10.

If you want a really authentic Barcelona football souvenir to take home, the red and yellow Sant Andreu shirt has the 'Four Fingers of Blood' of the Catalan flag and is one of the emblems of the city.

Other Clubs And the Federació Catalana de Futbol

Football in Catalunya is run by the Federació Catalana de Futbol and the Delegació de Barcelona alone has over 300 federated clubs so there are plenty of options for watching or even playing semi-professional or amateur football in Barcelona.

Most neighbourhoods have a local football club ... some like Sant Martí's Jupiter or Gràcia's Europa are historic clubs that have seen better days and most fulfil an in important social role in the neighbourhoods.

They provide teams for all levels and ages, and coaching for kids. UE Sant Andreu have 56 different teams of all ages while FC Martienc boast 47.

Futsal

Indoor Football. internationally known as Futsal but known in Spain as Futbol Sala, is incredibly popular here. FC Barcelona have their own team and there is a major professional league.

However, as far as locals are concerned, futbol sala is a great way to keep playing the beautiful game. There are plenty of sports complexes where you can get together with your mates and rent a court.

If you want to take it a bit more seriously, there are a number of Barcelona football sala leagues. There's even one one made up solely of expat teams.

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